American Go E-Journal

Andy Liu 1P took the first Washington Open Baduk Championship with a 5-0 sweep on April 26-27. Displaying his customary sharp and speedy play — rarely using more than half the 60-minute basic time — Liu (right) dominated his opponents, winning most of his games by resignation. The young American pro was characteristically modest, however. When retiree Kang Shin 7D, a powerhouse who won multiple titles in the 1970′s, cheerfully told Liu “You’ll give me a lesson” as they sat down to play in the final round, Liu quietly replied, “We’re all equals here.” Organizers were pleased with the turnout and the venue at the Korean U.S. Science Cooperation Center in Vienna, VA, as well as the addition of a new major East Coast tournament to the annual go calendar. “We’re especially grateful to Scorpion Sports, the Korean Embassy, the Korea Amateur Baduk Association and all the volunteers and sponsoring organizations who put on this great event,” said AGA President Andy Okun. “Ambassador Suh Daewon’s vision of all the different go communities coming together took a great first step with the successful launch of the Washington Open,” said Allan Abramson, who directed the tournament. “I’m looking forward to many more years of joint efforts with him and KABA.” Todd Heidenreich was the Assistant TD. See below for the winner’s report, link to the crosstab, and the Board 1 game records for rounds 4 & 5.- photos by Phil Straus (right) and Chris Garlock (left); click here for Straus’ tournament photo album.